Name Prince Duke Mother Ewa Westring Role Personal trainer | Signature | |
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Born 15 September 1973 (age 50) Orebro, Sweden ( 1973-09-15 ) Issue Princess Estelle, Duchess of Ostergotland Children Princess Estelle, Duchess of Ostergotland Parents Anna Ewa Kristina Westling, Olle Westling Grandparents Anders Westling, Frida Berta Elisabet Borg Similar People Victoria - Crown Princess, Princess Estelle - Duchess, Prince Carl Philip - Duke of V, Princess Madeleine - Duchess, Queen Silvia of Sweden | ||
Siblings Anna Westling Soderstrom | ||
Sweden swedish royal wedding princess victoria of sweden and daniel kungliga br llopet
Prince Daniel of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland (born Olof Daniel Westling on 15 September 1973), is the husband of Crown Princess Victoria. Prior to his marriage to the heir apparent, Daniel was a personal trainer and gym owner and ran a company called Balance Training with three gyms in central Stockholm. His full name is Olof Daniel Westling Bernadotte as registered with the Swedish Tax Authority's national census.
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Background and early life
Daniel was born to Olle and Ewa Westling (born Ewa Westring) in Örebro, on the day Carl XVI Gustaf ascended the throne. His family lived in the Brickebacken area, and he grew up in Ockelbo. He has a sister, Anna Westling Söderström (formerly Anna Westling Blom, born Anna Westling). He was christened at Almby Church in January 1974. His family has Forest Finnish ancestry and his father is a leader in the Forest Finnish community.
After completing his education, he briefly served, as part of national conscription, in the Swedish Army at Hälsinge regemente in Gävle. In 2001, he met the Crown Princess when he became her personal trainer.
On 1 July 2008, he moved into a one-bedroom rental apartment in the Pagebyggnaden building on the grounds of Drottningholm Palace. The move was confirmed by the Royal Court.
Engagement and marriage
On 24 February 2009, Westling and Crown Princess Victoria received official permission to become engaged from King Carl XVI Gustaf and the Government of Sweden. Such permission is necessary according to the terms of the Swedish Act of Succession.
Westling suffered from a congenital (but not hereditary) ailment causing impaired renal function. Three months after his engagement, on 28 May 2009, Westling underwent a kidney transplant at Karolinska University Hospital. His father was the donor. The operation was a success. Victoria could not be present when the operation took place because she was in Greenland at the time.
The wedding took place in Stockholm Cathedral on 19 June 2010, the 34th anniversary of her parents' wedding. After the wedding, the Duke and Duchess of Västergötland moved into the Haga Palace.
Fatherhood and children
On 17 August 2011, the Swedish royal court announced that Prince Daniel and Crown Princess Victoria were expecting their first child in March 2012. She gave birth to a girl on 23 February 2012, Princess Estelle, Duchess of Östergötland. Daniel took his paternity leave and switched parental roles with Victoria when Estelle began preschool.
On 4 September 2015 the court announced that the couple were expecting their second child, due to be born in March 2016. On 2 March 2016, Victoria gave birth to a boy, Prince Oscar, Duke of Skåne.
Career and activities
In November 2009 it was reported that Daniel Westling was to step down as CEO and member of the Board of Directors of the Balance company. He will still be an equity partner. It was expected that the same procedure would be followed with his involvements in other companies, before he became prince. His business positions: Balance – CEO and member of the Board of Directors (stepped down November 2009); Master Training – CEO and member of the Board of Directors; Brasil Development – member of the Board of Directors
Daniel has been attending events with Crown Princess Victoria and representing the Royal Family since his marriage. On 21 August 2010, he undertook his first engagement with the rest of the Royal Family to celebrate 200 years of the House of Bernadotte being on the throne. On 26 September 2010, Daniel went on his first tour with Victoria, visiting France in connection with the Bernadotte anniversary.
Style and titles
Sweden has practised absolute primogeniture only since 1980. This means that Victoria is the first female heir apparent, and questions arose as to how Daniel Westling would be known after their marriage.
When Carl XVI Gustaf married Silvia Sommerlath in 1976, he discontinued the established norm that Swedish princes must marry royalty to be eligible to inherit the throne. But men, royal or not, had only twice before, in the 13th and 17th centuries, obtained new title or rank as the spouse of a Swedish princess, and even three queens regnant left no clear precedent. Margaret (reigned 1388–1412) was the widow of Håkon VI of Norway and Christina (reigned 1632–1654) was unmarried. The most recent Ulrika Eleonora (reigned 1718–1720) was already married during her tenure as queen regnant: her husband, Frederick, was given the style "Royal Highness" during his tenure as consort, a style granted to him by the estates. Ulrika Eleonora later abdicated so her consort Frederick—who was born a prince of Hesse-Kassel—could be king. In Daniel's case, the Swedes were treading on new ground.
The Swedish Royal Court announced that Westling would become "Prince Daniel" and "Duke of Västergötland", corresponding in form to the style used by previous Swedish princes, including Victoria's younger brother Prince Carl Philip, Duke of Värmland, i.e. Prince + Given name + Duke of [Place].
As was further announced in May 2010, on his wedding day Westling was made a prince of Sweden and was granted the style Royal Highness, making him an official member of the Swedish Royal Family and on a par with other senior members of the Royal Family, such as Prince Carl Philip, Princess Madeleine and Princess Lilian. At Stockholm Cathedral, he was also then made a knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim and already wore its badge and ribbon upon emerging after the ceremony.
Titles and styles
Since his marriage, Daniel has been styled as "His Royal Highness Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland". He added the surname of the Swedish Royal Family, Bernadotte, making his full legal name Olof Daniel Westling Bernadotte. and when referring to both him and his wife, they are called the Crown Princess Couple (Swedish: Kronprinsessparet).
National honours
Foreign honours
Arms
Prince Daniel's coat of arms is based on the greater coat of arms of Sweden. It features in the first and fourth quarters, the Three Crowns; in the second, the lion of the House of Bjelbo; and in the third, the lion of the arms of Västergötland, representing the titular designation of his and his wife's dukedom. In the centre, on an inescutcheon, is his personal arms (Westling). This arms is based on the arms of Ockelbo. Surrounding the shield is the chain of the Order of the Seraphim, of which he has been a member since his wedding.
Ancestry
In connection with his engagement to Victoria, the Swedish National Archives published an account of Westling's ancestors, most of whom were farmers in the province of Hälsingland. His paternal grandfather Anders Andersson (1900–1980) adopted the surname of Westling from his mother, Brita Westling. In June 2010, genealogist Björn Engström published Daniel's ancestors as far back as to the 14th century, and showed that Daniel shares some ancestors in the region of Stora Kopparberget with noble families living today, among these Svinhufvud.